The Bible contradicts the assumption that the only kind of edification or the only way to edification is intelligible speech. The one who speaks in tongues edifies himself (1 Corinthians 14:4a) as his spirit prays (1 Corinthians 14:14a), but his mind is “unfruitful” (14:b). Therefore, Paul says that the Christian should both pray with tongues and with the understanding (14:15). We use intelligible speech, however, when we wish to edify other people. Of course, 1 Corinthians 14 places the emphasis on edifying other people, and that by intelligible speech, because it was what the Corinthians needed to hear. A different church might need to hear the other perspective. What would Paul say to the anti-tongues cults? There the edification of other people by intelligible speech is stressed to the exclusion of all else, even to the point of condemning what the Bible teaches as proper means of edification, as if these things are evil. To them Paul would likely place emphasis on the edification of the self through praying in tongues (14:18), or the edification of others by tongues and interpretation. It involves little speculation to say this because we only mean that Paul would adjust his emphasis to enforce his own principles on the matter when the error is focused elsewhere.

The intelligible speech that Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 14 is not even mainly preaching (although that is included in 14:26), but he refers to prophecy, a supernatural manifestation of the Spirit. Those who reject speaking in tongues usually also reject prophecy, and so they in effect throw out all of 1 Corinthians 14. They usually also reject gifts of healing, miracles, seeing and hearing spirits, visions and dreams, and revelations. Thus they also throw out 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. Such people follow Jesus Christ only as a moral philosopher, as some heathens follow Confucius. They refuse to allow the philosophy of heaven to produce what it promises on earth. They refuse to follow Jesus in his works of power, works that he commanded his apprentices to continue. When you claim to follow someone but rejects much of what this person teaches and stands for, then he is only a mere symbol to you. You are not a true follower.

Although intelligible speech indeed leads to edification, the assumption that only intelligible speech can produce edification is unbiblical. Nevertheless, it is an inflexible and non-negotiable assumption in some theological traditions that only intelligible speech can produce edification. This is because, as with hundreds of other topics, it is an inflexible and non-negotiable fact that the theological traditions are wrong. The traditions are often invented to protect human agenda, such as to justify their prejudices and obscure their inadequacies. If they lack the Spirit of God, then they want to teach that they already have the Spirit of God, that this is not something that God offers after our confession of faith in Christ, and that it is not something that would produce any external and powerful effects. If they have no faith to receive and to minister healing, they want to say that healing has ceased, and that sickness is a gift from God, not an oppression from Satan as Jesus said. If they have no tongues, no prophecies, no visions, no dreams, no…no anything other than claiming that they are the most intelligent and orthodox people in the history of mankind regardless of how much they contradict Scripture, then all these things have ceased.

Jesus was not killed because he performed too many charitable works. No, he was killed because he performed too many miraculous works. He was hated not because he exposed people’s covetousness and selfishness, but because he exposed people’s lack of faith and power. Jesus was not killed because he defied too many political ideologies. No, he was killed because he defied too many theological ideologies. He was hated because he defied historic orthodoxy to reinstate authentic orthodoxy. He was not killed because some people thought he blasphemed. Many blasphemed, and many heathens circulated among the people, but none threatened the establishment like he did. Jesus was killed because he exposed religious people for their unbelief and tradition, and for their lack of spiritual abilities and experiences. This made him a target for false accusations like blasphemy and sedition. From that time until our day, it is for the same reasons that those who consider themselves the religious elite oppose those who follow Jesus in his doctrines and miracles. If you make religionists look bad by your works of charity, they might dislike you but they will not attempt to destroy you. But if you make them look bad by your doctrines of faith and works of power, this is when the spirit of their forefathers — the spirit of murder — is awakened. This is when they will attempt to destroy you like their ancestors murdered Jesus. The ones who hate you will often be your own pastors, your church friends, your seminary professors, even your parents.

In any case, the exact nature and method of this edification might be complex, but it is easy to conceive of how something that bypasses the conscious mind can produce edification. You could easily see it. The reason you find it difficult is because you are stuck on the unbiblical assumption. Let us posit one way that it could happen. For a moment we will take up the conscious vs. subconscious model. It does not mean we accept the theories associated with it. This model came about because the non-Christians have inferred that something like this must exist in the human person, but they have not attained the truth about it. At any point in time, your subconscious is retaining, processing, and applying much more — perhaps many million times more — information than what your immediate consciousness is aware of and thinking about. The subconscious is necessary and powerful — without it, you cannot remember anything beyond several minutes and you cannot perform the most basic motor functions — but it is also inaccessible to your consciousness. You cannot exploit its resources at will. It could be that speaking in tongues is the miraculous ability given to the Christian to speak out of this part of the regenerated person, thus praying far beyond the development of the Christian’s conscious mind. A Christian must continue to increase in knowledge and maturity in his consciousness, but meanwhile the Spirit enables him to make an instant leap forward.

There are testimonies of people who, by speaking in tongues daily, have been cured of irrational fear, crippling depression, traumatic memories, suicidal compulsions, and such things, as well as other less drastic problems. Students have acknowledged that by speaking in tongues daily and between study sessions, their minds have become more relaxed and focused, and more intelligent, thus increasing their performance. Christian speakers and writers have admitted that speaking in tongues have helped them overcome stagnation, and have infused them with creative energy and ideas. One person worked in a hospital where they housed children with mental disabilities. He did not know how to pray for them, but every day he would go visit each child and put his hands on them and pray for several minutes in tongues. Children who had made no progress for three or more years would begin to show improvement within a week, and some were released after a month or so.

It is common to hear that praying in tongues helps people to subdue anger and fear, and extend forgiveness. Others regularly testify of being filled with joy, comfort, peace, seemingly superhuman courage, flashes of theological insights, for their own needs and to perform ministry. Tongues is God’s gift to his children, never to be despised or underestimated. Sometimes people ask, “If I receive the Spirit, do I have to speak in tongues?” You don’t have to do anything. You don’t even have to receive Jesus Christ. You can burn in hell if you want. You don’t HAVE TO speak in tongues, but you GET TO speak in tongues. Why wouldn’t you want to, seeing that Scripture has nothing but praise for speaking in tongues when done in the right setting? As Paul said, “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.”

There are many other kinds of benefits. This is what we ought to expect, because it is a work of the Spirit of God. To call all of this “edification” is correct. The religionists who take pride in their edification could not come close to achieving a tenth of the results by their no-faith preaching and counseling, and their volumes upon volumes of tedious and nitpicking musings. If you begin with unbelief, you will always spin out faithless doctrines. And then you can only appeal to your creeds and other faithless theologians to excuse yourself. Do not get stuck on something that comes from only human orthodoxy and invention. Despise nothing that comes from God. Speaking in tongues comes from God, and even Balaam knew that you cannot curse what God has blessed. You cannot condemn what God has condoned. Thus anti-tongues preachers are apostate preachers, even less reliable than the apostate prophet Balaam. Abandon man-made assumptions that limit you and harm you. Open yourself to God, to the way of faith, so that you do not miss out on “every good and perfect gift.”